Floodlit stages at Bushy Park start BCIC RB24 on Friday

Rally fans are in for an exciting new experience at Bushy Park on Friday (May 31), with not one, but two, floodlit special stages – with a start list of more than 100 passing through twice, that’s one whole lot of rally action to enjoy! We will also host the Sunday afternoon finish once again, as a major shake-up for BCIC Rally Barbados 2024 – along with its new title sponsor, the British Caribbean Insurance Company – has changed the face of the event more than a little.

In a plan first discussed for its premier event by the Barbados Rally Club (BRC) four years ago, before the pandemic intervened, there will be three stages after nightfall on the first day, presenting an ‘out-of-the-box’ challenge like never before. SS1 and SS3 are identical 2.6-kilometre stages starting a very short distance outside Bushy Park and finishing under the all-arena lighting inside. Crews will only get their first look at the stage layout the day before, when pace-noting time at the facility is allowed.

Between these two stages, crews will head off into St John and a 5.9km run through the popular Featherbed Lane, but the action inside Bushy Park will be pretty much non-stop as the final runners in SS1 will almost immediately be replaced by the top seeds back for SS3. Competitors will need to be on it from the start: these three stages represent around 10 per cent of the total stage distance for BCIC RB24, certainly not enough to win the event, but perhaps enough to lose it if something goes awry.

The first stage starts at 7.30pm, with gates opening at 5.00pm: Gate 2 and Gate 4 - 4x4 zones; Gate 3 - general admission, with parking outside; $15 for adults, with children 12 and under free. Clubhouse open at no extra charge

Sunday’s final stage, SS21, will not be included in the results for BCIC RB24, although competitors will be required to start the stage to be considered an overall finisher. It has been some years since the final stage has allowed a degree of ‘free expression’, so fans may well be in for a treat. To many crews, particularly those from overseas, just finishing the Caribbean’s biggest annual motor sport International is an achievement, so the chance to let off some steam in front of a huge crowd is irresistible. At the finish, crews will assemble on The Hill for the provisional podium ceremony and after party.

The stage starts at 4.25pm, with gates opening at 2.30pm: Gate 2 and Gate 4 - 4x4 zones; Gate 3 - general admission with parking outside; $10 for adults, with children 12 and under free. Clubhouse open at no extra charge